Firefly Announces Discovery of New Brain Wave Biomarkers For Differential Diagnosis of ADHD
Over 22 million Americans are diagnosed with ADHD — yet an objective biological marker for distinguishing between its three distinct subtypes has, to date, remained elusive1
Firefly's AI-powered EEG/ERP technology may help identify which ADHD subtype a patient has — potentially complementing subjective symptom checklists with neural signal-based precision
Subtype identification could change the clinical equation: Firefly's platform may help clinicians determine the most appropriate treatment type, inform dosage decisions, and potentially monitor whether an intervention is working
The breakthrough advances Firefly's mission to build the world's first EEG/ERP brain foundation model — being trained on a growing repository of over 191,000 brain scans
KENMORE, N.Y., March 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Firefly Neuroscience, Inc. ("Firefly" or the "Company") (NASDAQ:AIFF), an Artificial Intelligence ("AI") company developing innovative solutions that improve brain health outcomes for patients with neurological and mental disorders, today announced the advancement of research using Resting EEG/Cognitive EEG (ERP) brain scans collected on its FDA-510(k)-cleared Evoke System to potentially distinguish between the three main subtypes of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder ("ADHD"): hyperactive and impulsive, inattentive, and combined.2 ADHD represents a U.S. treatment market estimated at over $10 billion, yet the condition has historically been diagnosed without objective biological tools for subtype differentiation.3
Today, a diagnosis of adult ADHD is based upon meeting the following general symptoms-based criteria: symptoms should be present in two or more settings, such as home, work or school; symptoms should clearly interfere with or reduce the functioning of a person in social, work, or school-related activities; symptoms experienced cannot be better explained by another mental health condition, such as depression or anxiety; and symptoms should not only occur during the course of a psychotic disorder like schizophrenia.4
In addition, healthcare professionals typically use the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR) to distinguish between the three types of ADHD. According to the DSM-5, adult ADHD may be diagnosed in the following cases: (i) hyperactive and impulsive type ADHD - at least five symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsivity for more than six months without meeting the diagnostic criteria for inattentive behavior; (ii) inattentive type ADHD - at least five symptoms of inattention for more than six months without meeting the diagnostic criteria for hyperactive or impulsive behavior; and (iii), combined type ADHD - at least five symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsivity and at least five symptoms of inattention for more than 6 months.4
Gil Issachar, Chief Technology Officer of Firefly, commented, "While there has been significant progress made in the treatment of ADHD over the years, there is no question that significant unmet need remains, particularly after a general diagnosis of the disorder has been made. For example, some types of ADHD respond well to stimulants, while others don't and neurofeedback therapy may be recommended instead.5 Firefly's EEG/ERP platform can leverage subtype-specific biomarker profiles to inform personalized treatment recommendations, potentially improving outcomes for the millions currently on generalized ADHD treatment plans. We believe that the technology also opens the door to ongoing treatment monitoring — allowing clinicians to objectively track whether an intervention is working at the neurological level."
Firefly's methodology is supported by prior peer-reviewed research, including a study published in Frontiers in Psychiatry, demonstrating the diagnostic utility of EEG-based brain activity flow pattern analysis in ADHD patients.6
Greg Lipschitz, Chief Executive Officer of Firefly, said, "This latest Firefly cognitive brain biomarker discovery serves as another demonstration of how we are harnessing the power of AI and EEG/ERP to potentially transform neuroscience and clinical development. Moving forward, armed with a growing foundation of brain scan data and important access to NVIDIA GPU acceleration to power next-generation EEG/ERP processing, we believe that we are on the right path to making even more breakthroughs in cognitive brain biomarker discovery, as well as to fulfilling our goal of building and launching the world's first EEG/ERP-based foundation model of the human brain."
Sources
1 https://chadd.org/about-adhd/general-prevalence/
2 https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291716003329
5 https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-00095-w
6 https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1026616/full
About Firefly
Firefly (NASDAQ:AIFF) is an Artificial Intelligence ("AI") company developing innovative solutions designed to provide clinicians and researchers with unparalleled insights into brain function. Firefly's proprietary database currently consists of over 191,000 EEG/ERP brain scans, making it the world's largest known standardized EEG/ERP repository. Firefly's EEG-based, AI-driven, and FDA-510(k)-cleared brain analytics technology has the potential to revolutionize diagnostic and treatment monitoring methods for conditions such as depression, dementia, anxiety disorders, concussions, and ADHD.
Please visit www.fireflyneuro.com for more information.
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